


Promptember - Check Please

by CanadianFreakshow



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: AUs, Drabbles, Established Relationship, Food show host Bitty, M/M, NHL Player Jack
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-01
Updated: 2015-11-30
Packaged: 2018-04-29 13:22:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 30
Words: 18,553
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5129129
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CanadianFreakshow/pseuds/CanadianFreakshow
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A series of Promptember drabbles for Check Please.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Fire Alarms and Cooking Lessons Part 1

**Author's Note:**

> ‘Sorry i set the fire alarm in our building off again for the forty-eighth time i was trying to cook.’ Jack/Bitty
> 
> Big thanks to shortlimbs (or sadquebecois on tumblr) for being my beta for this. It's greatly appreciated!

Sirens blared through the air surrounding the apartment complex. The clock on Jack’s phone read 2:45 AM and around fifty grumpy and drowsy fellow residents sat around huddled in their pajamas and blankets. Every once in awhile, Jack felt a few glares fall upon him, and Jack did his best to try and ignore it.

It didn’t work.

Trying to stop his hands from shaking, Jack braced himself for the inevitable conversation he would have with his landlord. As always, by the time the landlord actually arrived, Jack would completely convince himself that this time, he would get kicked out. Even after this had happened for the forty-eighth time. 

It had been the same routine for the past few months, only a few variables ever changing, but the same routine nonetheless. Only this time, things were different. Before the landlord could even think to come over and scold Jack, a bright, over-cheerful southern voice rang through the air, disturbing Jack from his anxious thoughts.

“Anybody here in need of anythin’? I got blankets, mini-pies, hot cocoa. Whatever you’re itchin’ for I’ve probably got it!”

Jack’s head snapped toward the voice and a short blond man, arms full of pastries and warm looking blankets was weaving through the crowd, struggling not to drop anything in his arms. Before fully thinking his actions over, Jack stood up and made his way over the man.

“Uh… do you… need any help carrying those things?” Jack asked nervously when the man placed his attention on him.

The other raised his eyebrows in shock over the offer and said “Yes, thank you, I’d love that!” and began to hand over some of the things in his arms. Then, suddenly, he narrowed his eyes slightly, making Jack feel like an unworthy specimen. 

“Just wait a gosh darn minute. Are you the one that has been settin’ off that damn fire alarm nearly every night?”

Jack’s cheeks lit up in embarrassment before he finally muttered out a quiet, “Uh… maybe?”

The other looked thoughtful for a moment before his face became determined. 

“Alright then. Tell you what. I know how to fix this whole situation.” When Jack raised a questioning eyebrow he continued. “Now I reckon the reason for the constant fire alarm is due to some difficulty in bein’ able to cook. And seein’ as I, Eric Bittle, am a professional chef - pastry or not - I’m gonna teach you to cook so you don’t end up bein’ evicted. Or starvin’ yourself.”

Jack opened his mouth to protest immediately, but the man - Eric - caught on immediately and interrupted him. “And don’t you dare think of sayin’ no because I can already tell that you can’t afford to set that alarm off again. You’re lucky our landlord has been generous so far.”

Jack sighed and rubbing the back of his neck, embarrassed. “Yeah… okay, but… you really don’t have to.”

Eric ignored Jack and instead started scrawling out a phone number. He handed it over to Jack, who reluctantly took it. 

“Now when you get the time give me a call and we’ll set somethin’ up with our schedules. But in the meantime, let’s keep handin’ these out.”

***

The next day found Jack staring at his phone, attempting to work up the courage to make a phone call. Eventually he just stepped up his courage and tapped Eric’s name in his contact list. It only took a few seconds for the southern drawl to touch his ears. 

“Hello, Eric Bittle speakin.’”

Jack coughed slightly before speaking. “Uh… um… hi. Hello. This is Jack. The uh… fire alarm guy.”

 

“Well, hello there Jack. Are you ready to learn to feed yourself then?”

A blush worked it’s way up Jack’s neck before he coughed slightly. “Uhm… I suppose so. I figured you be a little… upset if I didn’t call so…”

 

“You’re darn tootin’ I would. Ya don’t leave a gentlemen hangin’ after all. So, when are you free for a lesson? Right now works for me, but what about you?”

“Uh… well, I’m free now, so… I guess I could come over. If you want.”

“Perfect!” Eric cheerily replied. “Come over when you can. I’m apartment 7B.”

***

The bright gold painted sign that signified that Jack was at the right address stared Jack in the face, almost mockingly. Jack was still confused as to how he ended up in that place. But there was no time to really dwell on the situation because before he knew it, he was already knocking on the door.

It only took a moment before the door was swinging open and Eric, with pink cheeks, flour-kissed, tussled hair and an apron that said in bright glittery font, “Certified Southern Belle.” 

“Well, hi there! Looks like you made it!” Eric said opening the door wider and stepping aside so that Jack could enter.

When Jack did, he heard the door click closed behind him as he looked around at the surroundings of the place Eric called home.

It was a fairly simple place, nothing too complicated or over the top, and considering that it was obvious Eric was southern, Jack was relieved to find a lack of camo, guns and anything that said the word ‘happy’ three times in a row. Jack didn’t know many pop culture references, but it was a little hard to ignore several gross, bearded men everywhere he went.

“Nice place you have… It’s homey.” Jack said eventually, turning to Eric.

Eric smiled, heading into another room, leaving Jack to follow him. 

“You think so? Well, thank ya very much. It’s mostly just a few things I nabbed here and there from home and some stores. And speakin’ of things I nabbed at stores, I found this apron for you. I think it fits properly.”

Eric grabbed a piece of cloth off of the kitchen table and handed it to Jack. Jack raised his eyebrow and unfolded it. On the apron, in black letters was the phrase ‘My cooking is fabulous. Even the smoke alarm is cheering me on.’

Immediately, Jack heard snickering and he looked at the other man over the piece of clothing with an unimpressed look on his face. “...Was this completely necessary?”

Eric wiped a few tears from his eye before taking a deep breath. 

“Yes it was; now put it on and we can start cooking.”

Reluctantly, Jack did, pulling the top string over his neck and tying the bottom strings around his waist like he remembered his mother doing when he was young. “Okay, so… What are we going to cook?”

“Well, normally when I teach people to cook, I only make desserts. Seeing as you can’t even cook macaroni and cheese from a box to feed yourself, though, we’re gonna have to start easy, and with a meal.”

Jack blinked a couple times before replying, “Wait, do you teach people to cook often?’

Bitty placed a hand over his heart and sighed softly. 

“Oh bless your heart child, I’m a chef on the Food Network.”

“The… Food Network?”

Eric bit his lip before turning away for a moment to let out a snicker and muttered a little too quietly for Jack to hear, “Bless your hockey playin’, French Canadian heart Zimmermann.”

“What?”

Eric waved his hand dismissively. 

“Never mind, sweetheart.”


	2. Fire Alarms and Cooking Lessons Part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ‘I'm sorry but your headphones are so loud I can hear them from here and just what the crap do you think you're listening to that's so two thousand and late'
> 
> Okay here it is, the continuation to yesterdays prompt (which I decided needed two more prompts after this). Once again big big thanks to shortlimbs (Sadquebecois) for betaing this.

It had been several months since Eric had first met Jack Zimmermann. He had of course seen the man around their complex prior to their meeting and recognized him from television and store merchandise, but ever since that cold morning that Jack had approached him, they had begun to spend more time together.

It had started with the cooking lessons. Then, Eric decided that he should invite him over for dinner one Friday. He continued to do so until it was a given that, unless either Jack or Eric had a hockey game or a prior commitment, they would have dinner on Friday.

After that, Eric would invite Jack over every once in awhile to watch a movie, vent about his day, or just an excuse to see the other man.

Before they knew it, they had slowly but surely become easy friends.

Currently, Jack was sitting on Eric’s couch trying to calm down from a bad day that had made his anxiety spike up to dangerous levels. He had his ear buds shoved in (something Eric suggested he should do) and was trying to take deep breaths. 

Since frantically knocking on Eric’s door earlier, he looked a lot less pale and was definitely breathing a lot better. It made Eric warm inside that he could attempt to help his friend with things like that.

The possibility of friendship had never crossed Eric’s mind when they had first met, considering the circumstances. It wasn’t that Eric had hated Jack at first or anything, but he had resented him a slight bit. But, honestly who in their complex hadn’t? Eric had never met a human being who actually enjoyed being woken up at two in the morning for 48 near-consecutive days.

But now that Eric had actually begun to get to know Jack, well… It was impossible to resent the other man now.

Eric had been hiding in his kitchen, baking while he gave Jack some space to breathe. It wouldn’t help Jack any if he smothered him. His baking excursion ended with three dozen freshly baked chocolate chip cookies. 

When the cookies were cooled enough, he placed a few on a small plate and crept over to the door to take a small peek to see how Jack was doing. When he looked in, the sound of distant music was blasting through ear buds. 

It didn’t sound like anything Eric had ever heard, but considering Jack’s disgusting lack of knowledge about any pop culture, it was probably someone Eric had a horrible distaste for.

Deciding it wouldn’t hurt to attempt to see if he was feeling better and find out what the heck he was listening to, Eric stepped cautiously into his living room and made his way to the front of the couch. Jack immediately noticed him and quickly pulled out his headphones. 

“Hey there. Just wonderin’ if you were feelin’ up to eating a couple cookies. I baked a bunch so you can eat as much as ya like.”

Jack looked up surprised but nodded and replied. “Sure. I’d love some.” Before reaching down to pause his music. The cover art popped up when Jack disturbed his phone from it’s dormant state. Eric narrowed his eyes before plopping down in the spot next to Jack.

As they both took a cookie from the plate, Eric setting the plate down afterwards, he finally spoke what was on his mind. “So… I couldn’t help but notice that you were listening to some… interestin’ music. Why don’t ya tell me about it?”

Jack raised his eyebrows in a questioning look before handing over his phone. “Uh… it’s nothing special really. Just some songs I like.”

Eric unlocked the phone with the passcode that he had taught Jack how to set only a few weeks ago. The screen showed the music app, and oh, god… was that… country he saw? His nose automatically wrinkled at the sight of the cowboy boots and acoustic guitar that covered the cover art of whatever album the photo was for.

Immediately, Jack looked offended, chewing his cookie a little more aggressively than he needed to. When he swallowed, he crossed his arms unimpressed. “What, do you have a problem with my music?”  
Eric coughed mid-bite, before swallowing and answering slowly. “No. Well, I mean only if you have awful taste in music. Which you do, so… you make an assessment.” Eric smirked slightly before reaching forward, grabbing the empty plate of cookies, and standing up to make his way to the kitchen.

It took a moment before Jack responded, immediately standing up in mock outrage. “Wait. Hey! Was that a chirp?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So tomorrow will be part 3 of this story which I have already started writing, so look out for that. I (hope) to have that out. Gonna try to keep up this schedule.


	3. Fire Alarms and Cooking Lessons Part 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ‘3am and the fire alarm in our apartment complex just went off, let me lend you my jacket while we wait on the sidewalk’
> 
> Here it is, day 3 everyone! As always, massive thanks to my beta shortlimbs (sadqquebecois).

After being responsible for setting off the fire alarm more times than one person should ever be able to set off an alarm in their lifetime, the sound of one was a familiar noise.

What shocked Jack when he was awoken by the sound at three one morning was that, for once, it wasn’t his fault. 

As he and many others scrambled to leave the building, all clad in pajamas and bathrobes, Jack searched for Eric in the crowd, who was no doubt already mentally putting the blame onto him. He couldn’t wait to chirp him for thinking so little of Jack.

Sure enough, as soon as he exited the building, the familiar, annoyed voice of Eric Bittle: “Jack Zimmermann I swear this better not be your fault.”

Jack looked toward the voice, finding the unimpressed face of Eric. He had his arms crossed looking annoyed. Immediately, Jack put his hands up and walked toward his friend. “Don’t look at me. I’m in the same boat you are.”

Eric relaxed but blinked in surprise. “Wait, really?”

Jack reached out to tousle Eric’s already sleep mussed hair and smirked. “Thanks for believing me, Bittle. Really, I feel so supported right now.”

Eric rolled his eyes in response before waving him over to a spot on the grass. “C’mon ya tweety bird. It’s gonna be a while until we can go back; we might as well sit down for a bit.”

When they sat down, they entered their usual easy conversation. Jack reveled in the fact that, for the first time, he wasn’t the one getting glared at, and he finally had a close companion to while the time away with. It made Jack feel warm inside.

After they had been talking for a while, a cool wind blew by, and Eric, who hadn’t exactly been wearing the warmest of clothing, shivered slightly. When he wrapped his arms around himself, Jack looked down at his attire, which included a sweater and a coat.

Making a quick decision, Jack peeled off of his jacket and handed it to Eric. 

“Here. You looked kinda cold, and I have two, so…”

The smile that graced Eric’s lips made Jack feel warm and gooey inside, and he couldn’t help but smile warmly back. It wasn’t the first time Jack had felt that way about Eric. It had happened hundreds of other times, and Jack had eventually had to face the reality that he had a crush on Eric. He would be an idiot to try and deny it.

“Why… thank you. That’s real sweet of ya Jack. That’s mighty sweet of you.” Eric said, already wrapping himself tightly in the material. 

Jack just nodded in reply, not sure what else to say. Eric seemed to understand, and they fell into a comfortable silence. They stayed like that until they were told they could go back inside.

That night, Jack couldn’t help but lay awake thinking about how adorable Eric had looked in that jacket and smiled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tomorrow is part four and the last part before I start doing just random prompts. Hope you guys liked this!


	4. Fire Alarms and Cooking Lessons Part 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ‘Seeing love interest in formal wear for the first time whaaat’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is! Part 4 and the final prompt of this little mini series. Not sure what I'm writing for tomorrow but I hope you guys will like it just as much! As always, massive thanks to shortlimbs (sadquebecois) for being my wonderful wonderful beta!

“Jack c’mon out! I swear I won’t laugh at you!” Eric Bittle yelled from where he was sprawled out on his friend’s couch. Earlier that day, Jack had received a new suit from his agent who had insisted that he needed to wear a suit to the function that he was being forced to attend later that week.

“I highly doubt that, Eric. I regret teaching you what a chirp is, I really do.” Jack’s voice yelled back, muffled slightly by the door to his bathroom.

Eric simply rolled his eyes because of that and scoffed. 

“Oh c’mon Zimmermann. It can’t be that bad. I’m sure you look absolutely wonderful!” 

Eric immediately heard a disbelieving cough from Jack and continued. 

“Please Jack? I swear I’ll bake you whatever you want for a month if you come out!”

There was a slight pause from Jack before he tentatively said, “...Even that pie with the maple sugar I like?”

Eric smirk slightly but nodded. Not even Jack could resist his baking.

“Yes. Even that. I’ll make as many as you want if I laugh. Promise.”

There was a small sigh before the door clicked open and Jack stepped out of the room.

And oh, god. He was hot.

Of course, Eric was already painfully aware of that fact, but… Jack in a suit was a whole other level of hot. Every bit of fabric fit him perfectly, and it completely complimented him. Eric never wanted another human being in his life.

Immediately, Eric’s jaw dropped open, and he gasped softly, abruptly sitting up. 

“Holy shit,” he whispered.

Jack suddenly looked nervous and confused, looking down at himself almost like he might have missed something that Eric could see. 

“W-what? Is it bad?”

Eric began shaking his head violently. 

“N-no. The opposite, actually. You… you look amazing Jack.” 

By the end of the sentence, Eric’s voice was nearly a whisper, almost as if he was telling Jack a secret that he wanted no one else to hear.

Jack’s eyebrows shot up in surprise, and a blush covered his cheeks suddenly. 

“Oh… well thanks.”

Suddenly, Eric felt brave and he stood up, slowly walking up to Jack. He didn’t make any eye contact but a blush covered his own cheeks. 

“Jack… You look better than amazing… you… you look hot.”

Jack made a small surprised noise and Eric finally met his eyes, taking a deep breath. 

“Jack… can I… kiss you?”

Jack gasped softly before he nodded jerkily, eyes wide.

Wasting no time at all, Eric surged forward and pressed his lips to Jack’s softly, sighing happily. Jack pressed back and nervously wrapped his arms around Eric’s, a soft smile getting in the way of them kissing properly but neither of them caring.

They were finally home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's it. Stayed tuned tomorrow for the next drabble!


	5. Long Live the King

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I’m watching The Lion King on my phone and I’m trying to hide the fact I’m sobbing uncontrollably but you notice anyway.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's day 5 everyone! Big thanks to shortlimbs (sadquebecois) for being my beta!

Afternoons were Eric’s favourite time of day—especially ones where he spent time with Jack. They didn’t even need to talk most of the time. In fact, sometimes they preferred to just sit with each other in complete silence. In some ways, it made their relationship stronger.

On this particular afternoon, Eric found himself sprawled out on Jack’s bed, using Jack’s lap as a pillow. Eric was, of course, on his phone tweeting and continuously going through his feed while Jack had his earbuds in and was watching something on his phone.

Every once in awhile, Eric turned his head and smiled at Jack, who returned it and ruffled Eric’s hair.

Things were going on as most of their lazy afternoons went until Eric suddenly heard a small sniffling sound come from Jack. He turned his head and furrowed his eyebrows when he saw tears falling down Jack’s cheeks at an alarming rate.

Eric sat up abruptly, worried. “Jack? What’s wrong, sweetheart?”

When Jack saw that Eric had sat up with a concerned look on his face, he fumbled and dropped his phone, hurrying to rip out his earbuds. 

“W-what did you say?” 

Eric leaned forward to cup Jack’s face, delicately wiping away his tears as he spoke. 

“You’re cryin.’ Is there somethin’ you want to talk about, sugar? You know ya can, right?”

Jack shook his head quickly, a blush appearing on his cheeks. 

“N-no, I’m fine. It’s nothing, Bittle. I promise.”

Eric’s eyebrows scrunched together further, and he tilted his head in confusion. 

“Well… if you’re sure… I don’t wanna push you or anythin,’ sweetie, but…”

Eric looked down for a moment, trying to figure out what he was going to say next, and just before he glanced back up, he saw it. Playing on the small screen of Jack’s phone, was a movie that Eric remembered as clear as day from his childhood. The Lion King.

When Eric looked back, Jack’s blush had deepened. Eric’s expression positively melted, and he pulled Jack in close, giving him a hug. 

“Aww Jack! Are you cryin’ over The Lion King? That is just adorable!”

Jack spluttered but hugged him back anyways. When he did, Eric continued speaking. 

“You know, Jack, there’s no shame in that, right? Mufasa’s death is really sad. I still cry whenever I see that movie. But if you don’t want me to tell the other guys, I promise I won’t.”

Jack tightened his hold on his boyfriend and mumbled, “Thanks, Eric…” 

He was silent for a few moments before he hesitantly asked, “Would you… maybe want to watch it with me?”

Eric pulled away, smiled at Jack, and leaned in to give him a sweet peck on the nose. “I’d love to, Zimmermann.”


	6. One Night is Never Enough

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "we casually hook up at parties sometimes but this time you got so drunk you couldn’t make it all the way back to your dorm so i let you crash in my room because it was closer and it turns out you’re really cute when you wake up in the morning, frick."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little bit of angst today. Big thanks to shortlimbs (Sadquebecois) for wading through the sea of horrible grammar and consecutive head shakings.

Jack groaned as he shifted in his bed, already wanting nothing but to fall back into a deep sleep. He hardly remembered the night before, and if things had gone the way they usually went when Jack got drunk… well, he probably wasn’t supposed to remember anyways. 

It took several minutes for Jack to open his eyes. When he did, the light hit them, and he groaned once more, clenching them tightly again. It took another minute or so until Jack dared to brave the sunlight once more and blinked his eyes open. After a while, he just resigned himself to having a killer headache.

He slowly dragged himself up, pressing the heel of his hand to his forehead. He felt the sheets slip down his bare body and realized, just as he thought, that he had had another one of those drunken nights. It was becoming a sort of a pattern.

It only took him a few moments before he discovered that he wasn’t the only one in the bed. When he finally started focusing on his surroundings, he heard the quiet breathing of another person. He had also woken up farther to one side of the bed than usual, being used to sprawling out fully on his stiff mattress.

Jack didn’t dare lift his head from where it rested on his hand, almost afraid to lift it and see who he was sharing a bed with. Jack, of course, already knew but… it was the principle of the matter to actually see him lying there.

A million questions raced through Jack’s brain at that moment. This wasn’t how things usually went. Bittle usually went back to his bed after they did… whatever they did. In the morning, Bittle made breakfast, and they ignored the whole thing.

Jack didn’t know how long he sat there, avoiding lifting his head. Eventually he straightened up and ran a hand through his hair. Taking a deep breath, he slowly turned and…

There he was. Just as Jack thought, sprawled on Jack’s bed, looking like he belonged there. Like it wasn’t surprising to find him tucked underneath Jack’s sheets. 

He was beautiful…

Jack’s breath hitched for a moment, and he had to force himself to look away. It wasn’t the first time he had thought that about Bittle, but every time he did, he had to force himself to think of something else. Anything else. 

His heart thumped uncontrollably in his chest, and his hands began to shake. Knowing in the back of his mind that he had feelings for Bittle and acted on them when they were both drunk was different from now. Now, Jack had to face them, because you can’t run away from something, (or someone) that’s cuddled in your bed with a heart melting expression. It wasn’t something you could exactly do.

After a while of silent panicking, the bed started shifting, and Jack figured that he was no longer the only one awake. He held his breath, waiting for the moment Bittle finally came to the realization as to where and why he was here.

A quiet, pillow-muffled groan was suddenly heard, and Jack abruptly pushed himself up against the bed frame, bringing the blanket with him to cover up. The movement on the bed from Bittle suddenly stopped, his entire body stiffening. 

It took a few moments before Jack felt him sit up slowly, taking shaky breaths. 

“I… I was too drunk to go back to my room last night… so you said I could stay… Sorry.”

Jack shook his head, before shifting, eventually locking his gaze with Bittle. As soon as he did, Bittle seemed to almost shrink in fear, his shoulders hunching up.

Jack took a deep breath before shrugging slightly. 

“There’s nothing to apologize for. It’s just… now that you’re here, we can’t really… ignore this anymore, can we?”

Bittle’s voice was small and vulnerable when he replied, almost like he would burst into tears at any given moment, “We can… if you want.”

Jack looked away and huffed slightly.

“What if… I don’t want to, Bittle?… What if… I want to address it?”

Jack heard Bittle gasp softly, and he lifted his gaze back to him. Hope and nervousness shone in Bittle’s eyes as he lifted his hand to softly touch his mouth in surprise. 

“Jack… what are you saying?”

Jack was hesitant to reply, but he still held his ground. 

“What would you say… if I wanted all of this to mean something? Would you… be upset?”

Tears suddenly gathered in Bittle’s eyes as he quickly shook his head and flung himself into Jack’s arms. Jack carefully wrapped him in his arms, holding him tight as Bittle sniffed.

“No, Jack… that would be a dream come true.”

Jack smiled and held Bitty closer than ever, and he planned to never have to let go.


	7. Open Happiness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ‘having each other’s names on coke bottles and discovering it in the line to pay au’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 7 everyone. It’s late, it’s dumb, but hey it’s here. Sorry for the lateness. I had absolutely no time to write today.

The small bell of the convenience store door chimed as Bitty stepped inside. He normally didn’t enjoy dropping into stores like these, mostly due to the crazy prices they asked, but on an overwhelmingly hot day like this, he had no choice.

As soon as he stepped foot inside, he immediately sought out the refrigerators. He wasted no time picking out his choice of drink (Coca-cola) and practically ran to the checkout counter.

As usual, there was a line—especially on a nice warm day like this. He tapped the plastic bottle impatiently, huffing.

The man in front of him looked at him curiously, looking back and forth from his drink to Bitty. Eventually, he looked like he finally got the courage to say something and hesitantly started talking.   
“Uh… h-hey, I couldn’t help but notice that you have a bottle with my name on it, and… well, I was wondering if you minded switching with me? It’s not a big deal if you don’t want to, but I never really thought to look for my name before.”

Bitty raised his eyebrows, surprised, glancing down at his bottle and reading the name. 

‘Jack,’ it said in the usual white bold font. He thought for a moment before shrugging, seeing no harm in switching.

When Jack passed over the bottle he’d been holding, Bitty almost started laughing at the coincidence of the situation. On the label, it said, ‘Eric.’

“Oh, my god.” 

When Jack raised his eyebrows in a questioning look, Bitty continued, “Sorry, it’s just… my name’s Eric. And… well.” He gestured to the bottle.

Jack blinked in surprise before smiling slightly. 

“You know… I don’t usually believe in destiny, but… I think the universe might be trying to tell us something.”

Bitty almost choked in surprise, but managed just to smile, a blush working its way onto his cheeks. “Is… this your way of asking for my number?”

Jack looked like he was thinking for a moment before he nodded stiffly. 

“Yes.”

Bitty bobbed his head for a moment taking that in. “Alright, well. I probably shouldn’t disappoint the universe now, should I?”

Without waiting for an answer, Bitty pulled an old receipt from his pocket and scribbled down his number on the back of it with a pen he had snatched off of the checkout counter. When he handed it over, he coolly walked past Jack, taking his spot in the line, and satisfying the annoyed cashier.

“Call me sometime, won’t ya, Jack?”

In the corner of his eye, he could see Jack dumbly nodding, and when he finished paying for the drink he began to leave. Before he did, though, he heard Jack’s voice call out. 

“Count on it, Eric.”


	8. My Heart Aches For You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 'Internet friends' au

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Really short one here today. Sorry about that. My muse failed me, but this will probably have a follow up tomorrow so stay tuned Big thanks to Shortlimbs (sadquebecois) for listening to my daily Canadian rants and staying up way too late on my behalf.

Eric Bittle took a deep breath as he took a step off of the plane. He made sure he had everything with him before he began to brave the crowd of other passengers, eager to meet their loved ones or get to their destinations. Just like almost everyone else, Eric’s eyes searched the crowd nervously for a familiar face. 

It was completely nerve-wracking knowing that in a few moments he would be in the presence of Jack Zimmermann for the first time in nearly a year. A twinge of hurt pierced his gut as he remembered last year’s visit. 

It had been the first time they had ever met, and Bitty had had the time of his life… until Jack’s then-boyfriend ruined it by monopolizing Jack the whole trip. The name “Kent” still left a bad taste on his tongue—especially after the awful things Kent had done to cause them to break up.

In the two and a half years that Eric had known Jack, he’d seen him fall apart more times than he could count; Nothing had broken Eric’s heart more than when Jack skyped him in tears, telling him how Kent broke his heart.

As Eric walked through the airport, eyes searching every face he came across, he couldn’t help but hope that maybe this trip would be better. Jack had assured him that it would be different. They would spend as much time as they could together, and he wouldn’t be left alone in his hotel when he had the perfect opportunity to see his friend.

It didn’t take long before Eric found him, doing his own searching. When their eyes met, Jack’s completely lit up, a genuinely happy smile spreading across his lips.

Eric couldn’t help himself from practically running towards his friend. Jack immediately spread open his arms and wrapped Eric in them when he came close enough. 

“Oh, my goodness gracious! I can’t believe I’m actually here.” Eric breathed into Jack’s shoulder.

“Me neither… Wow.”

Eric squeezed Jack as tight as he could, afraid that if he let go, Jack would disappear at any moment.

Eventually they had to let go of each other as they were in the middle of the airport.

“So…” Jack began as they started walking through the airport. “Wanna go to Timmie’s?”

Eric immediately began laughing but nodded. 

“Why not, Zimmermann? Why not?”


	9. Inconvenient Interruptions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ‘BEING ON THE BRINK OF ADMITTING THEIR FEELINGS FOR EACH OTHER BUT THEN GETTING INTERRUPTED’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay here’s the follow up to yesterday’s prompt! Big thanks to Shortlimbs (sadquebecois) for fixing my awful grammar whilst chirping me constantly.

Eric had so far marked his trip to Montreal a big success. They had been practically inseparable, and instead of having to stay in a lonely hotel room, Jack’s parents had insisted that Eric was put up in their guest room. 

Due to it being summer, other than his daily hockey training, they had plenty of time to spend together. They had an entire week to spend every day with one another, and so far they had made the best of it. 

Even though Eric wasn’t quite ready to wake up at 5:30 to jog with Jack, he did go to the rink at later times of the days and keep him company. When they weren’t hanging around doing that, they were passing the time doing things like pop culture sessions or just sitting around in comfortable silence.

It was a dream come true for Eric, and he never wanted it to end… but sadly, it had to. When Eric had planned the trip, he had decided to come with the idea of eventually telling Jack how he felt about him. He wasn’t sure when or how, but Eric knew he needed to tell him, and as hard as it would be, it would be better to say it in real life.

Even if it ruined the end of the trip, it was completely tearing Eric up inside having to keep the secret. Having to listen to Jack talk about his love life every once in awhile or how Kent had hurt him without seeming too possessively angry. Eric figured it would be best for them both if he just came clean, the proper way.

The planning of what and how he would say it was easy. It was the actual… doing it part that was causing him problems. Soon Eric realized he only had two days left, and he started to panic. Eventually, he got the guts in one of their quiet moments to take a deep breath and tentatively began approaching the subject. 

“H-hey Jack… listen. I was wondering if I could talk to you about something. It’s really hard for me to do this, but… It’s not fair for either of us if I kept it a secret…”

Jack immediately furrowed his brow and straightened up, an anxious expression crossing his face.

“Do you… promise not to hate me if I tell you something? I swear I have no ulterior motives behind it I… I just need to tell you. It’s killing me Jack…”

Jack nodded curtly, his eyes full of fear. Eric needed to look away. 

“Okay well… I’m not exactly sure how to say this… but I’ll try. Before you work yourself up, I swear I still want to talk to you and be your friend and it doesn’t involve anything… super awful. So don’t worry about that.”

Eric heard a long exhale of breath that sounded almost like relief and continued. 

“I-It’s just… Jack. Something happened over a year ago. S-something I didn’t mean to happen because it broke so many friendship rules and… and I swear, I didn’t mean for it to happen. But… I couldn’t help it, Jack…”

He hugged himself tightly as he spoke, staring at his knees, afraid that if he looked up Jack would be upset, or worse… angry.

“What… are you talking about Eric? What did you do that was so terrible you couldn’t tell me until now?”

Eric shuddered and clenched his fists. When he replied, his voice was quiet and small. “I… I f-fell in love with you…”

The words hung in the air for several moments, Eric’s heart almost stopping as he waited for a reply. Despite himself, a few tears began collecting in the corners of his eyes, and a small sob escaped from his lips. 

The second Jack heard the sound, he immediately sprung forward and placed a hand on Eric’s shoulder. “W-wait, Eric. It’s okay! I… I l-”

Before Jack could finish what he was going to say, the door slammed open and the cheerful voice of Alicia Zimmermann broke the moment between them. 

“Hey, you two! I was wondering if you’d like some hot chocolate—oh.” 

Her voice immediately changed from cheerful to worried. “Is… everything okay?”

Jack swallowed and gave his mom a sassy look from which she took the memo, slowly closing the door, leaving them in silence once more.

“O-Okay so… as I was gonna say. I’m not mad… I’m the complete opposite actually. I… I’ve been in love with you for a long time as well, Eric…”

Eric lifted his head to meet Jack’s gaze and a hopeful smile began to grace his lips. 

“W-wait… really?”

Jack smiled and hesitantly leaned forward to press his lips to Eric’s cheek. 

“Y-yeah… really.”

Suddenly Eric launched forward and wrapped his arms around Jack’s shoulders, pulling him in for a tight hug. After a few moments, he whispered into Jack’s shoulder, voice happy and hopeful. 

“This is the happiest day of my life…”

Jack eventually hugged back, pressing a smile into Eric’s hair and whispering back, “Yeah… I think it is for me too…”

They hugged each other close for longer than they knew but after awhile, Eric pulled away to wipe away the happy tears that had spilled down his cheeks. 

“H-hey… What do you say about taking your mom up on that hot chocolate offer?”

“Sure. Whatever you want.” 

Jack smiled and got up off of the bed, offering his hand to Eric. Eric took it, and together they made their way downstairs.


	10. Hey I Just Met You/ And This is Crazy/ But This Guy is Way Gross/ Be My Bae Maybe?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> i'm pretending to be ur bff bc u looked VERY uncomfortable with that person at the bar hitting on u' AU

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 10 everyone! Big thanks to shortlimbs (sadquebecois) for putting up with my stuff.

Jack didn’t come to bars often. Not only did he worry about accidentally slipping up by drinking too much, but he wasn’t the biggest fan of the people who went to bars. There was almost always a gross person who ended up appearing and ruining everyone’s fun, making everyone uncomfortable. 

Under most circumstances, he wouldn’t be there. The only reason he was there that night was because Ransom and Holster had wanted to take him out on the town—not to be cooped up in the Haus all night. Not that they would say it, but they would also want him as a back up wingman. 

Unsurprisingly, they had escaped a long time ago and had left him to sit on a bar stool, slowly sipping a soda. The bartender gave him pitying looks every once in awhile.

After a while of sitting alone trying to pass the time, Jack couldn’t help but notice someone who looked like he was being annoyed by a man who looked too full of himself for his own good. Jack strained his ears to listen to the conversation. 

“Aww c’mon baby. Don’t act like you aren’t flattered. Usually when someone compliments you, you say thank you.”

“You know, it’s real difficult to feel flattered when I feel more like I’m being verbally assaulted.” A southern voice shot back. “Like I said before: I’m not interested, and I just want to be left in peace!”

Jack didn’t need to hear anymore to know that he was pissed off. He wasn’t the most chivalrous of guys, but he did know that that creep wouldn’t let up until they either got what they wanted, got violent about it, or… worse.

He slowly stood up, taking his pop with him and trying to make it seem like he knew what he was doing. When he reached the two of them, Jack gave the scared blond a look of support and smiled. 

“Hey there you are! I had no idea you were coming around tonight. I would have come said hi earlier if I had known.”

The other gave Jack a look of complete relief and did his best to smile back. 

“Y-yeah sorry. I probably should have mentioned it when we talked earlier. Must have slipped my mind or somethin.’”

Jack then turned to the now angry-looking man who was staring daggers at him and shot him a warning look. “Listen, I don’t think my friend appreciates your company, so I would suggest you let it go and spend some time alone with your right hand instead.”

The man looked as if he was going to say something back, but ended up huffing and turning to walk away instead. Once he was a good distance from them, Jack let out a breath of relief and slumped into the nearest stool. It happened to be the one next to the man he’d just helped.

“Th-thank you, you didn’t have to do that, but I appreciate it.”

Jack smiled at him and held out his hand. 

“Don’t worry about it. The name’s Jack. I just couldn’t stand seeing someone try to bully another person into something they’re not comfortable doing.”

The stranger smiled genuinely back and gently shook his hand back. 

“It’s nice to meet you. I’m Eric. I wasn’t actually sure how I was going to get him to leave me alone, so thank you.”

Jack shrugged his shoulders dismissively but shook his hand as well before letting go. “It’s nice to meet you Eric. I’m glad I helped. I’ve never really… done something like that before, so I didn’t know how it was going to end. Glad nothing bad happened.”

“Yeah, me too. Hey, can I buy you a drink? It’s the least I can do to say thank you.”

“Nothing alcoholic, but if you want, you can buy me a refill of my coke. I was going to cut myself off after this, but hey, why not.”

Eric smiled and hailed the bartender.

They sat there talking for longer than they probably should have, and when Eric checked his phone for the time, he gasped realizing how late it was. 

“I am so so sorry Jack, but I’ve gotta go. I didn’t realize it was this late already. But hey… do you maybe want to exchange numbers? I really enjoyed tonight, and I thought maybe we could do this again in a… more romantic environment?”

Jack’s eyebrows shot up, but he nodded and quickly asked the bartender for a pen to scribble down his number on a stray napkin. When Jack handed the number over to Eric, he wrote down his own number and gave it back.

“Hope to hear from you Jack, bye!”

Eric didn’t wait for response before rushing quickly out the door, and Jack stared at it, dumbstruck. His heart was beating a mile a minute, and a happy grin had spread across his face. It seemed to be the start of something great.


	11. Sharing A Bed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ‘Oops friend looks like the only place to sleep in this house is this small, twin-sized bed, guess we’ll have to share’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Excuse the lame title. Thanks to shortlimbs (sadquebecois)!

The Haus was quiet when Jack crept into the dark hallway. That night he had a made a grave mistake in not remembering to lock his door before he had snuck away to avoid the massive party.

When he had come back after things had calmed down, Jack had learned that some very unpleasant things had been done to his bed. If it wasn’t the middle of the night, he would have reluctantly dealt with the mess, but Jack was too tired to spend any energy doing so; sleeping on the floor was not an option.

So here he stood, alone in the hallway, back leaning against the door. Where he would sleep for the night, Jack had no clue. Shitty was probably… preoccupied in his room, and so were Holster and Ransom. He wouldn’t even think about the couch downstairs. Jack could sleep on the floor but that probably wouldn’t be comfortable, and he would most likely get stepped on in the morning.

Which left only one option

Jack stared at the door across from his intently, debating whether or not he should try. After several minutes of mentally fighting with himself, he stepped forward and cautiously knocked.

When the door didn’t open right away, Jack panicked and tried to rush away downstairs, deciding maybe the couch wouldn’t be that bad. He had stepped onto the first step when he heard a door creak open and a tired, “...Jack?” was whispered.

Jack froze before he slowly turned around, cheeks flushed with embarrassment. 

“Oh uh… Hey, Bittle…”

Through the darkness, Jack could see Bittle’s look of confusion. 

“Jack, were you tryin’ to play ding dong ditch in the middle of the night?”

Jack blinked in surprise and frantically waved his arms around. 

“What? No. I just… I just sort of lost my bed for the night and was wondering if you were still awake.”

Bittle’s brows furrowed together, and he glanced towards Jack’s room. 

“What happened to your bed?”

Jack grimaced and made his way back over. “Trust me; you don’t want to know.”

Bittle grimaced as well before giving Jack a sympathetic look. “Well, since I know there’s nowhere else suitable for you to sleep, I’m not going to leave you stranded. C’mon. We’ll figure something out.”

Bittle reentered his room before turning around to beckon Jack inside. Jack followed, looking around. He’d been in there only a handful of times since Eric had moved in, usually only to quickly say something to Bittle. Now that he was fully inside, he actually had a chance to take the room in.

Nothing was incredibly surprising. Jack noticed a few things that had been left from Johnson like the hockey pucks. Then, of course, there were things like the Beyonce poster that was hung on the wall.

Behind him, Jack heard the sound of the door clicking shut and he turned towards Bittle.

“So uhm, there’s only a couple things I could do for you with the limited resources. I could try to make a spot on the floor with some of my blankets, but it wouldn’t be very comfortable. Or… I wouldn’t mind sharing my bed. I know it’s a little small, but I’m sure it’d be a heck of a lot more comfortable than sleeping on the floor. 

“It’s your choice in the end.”

Jack was completely thrown off by the suggestion but not repulsed. He thought about it for a moment and realized that sharing a bed with Bittle wouldn’t be the worst place to sleep tonight. In all honesty, it was probably the best case scenario. 

But that was only if Jack ignored the fact that he had a massive crush on Bitty.

Jack was about to say no, because there was no way that this scenario would play out well. Instead of hearing a “no,” though, Jack heard an, “Okay, that sounds great.”

The look of surprise that crossed Bitty’s face made Jack realized that he hadn’t expected Jack to say yes.

“A-alright well, I’ll just get in first and you can fit yourself around me, I guess.”

Jack numbly nodded. It wasn’t the fact that Jack was sharing a bed with another guy that was the problem. Jack shared a bed with Shitty all the time (despite his constant yearning to have one night alone). But the fact that it was with Eric Bittle, well… that changed the whole story.

Bitty quickly got snuggled under his blankets, and Jack reluctantly followed. The bed did happen to be a little small so it didn’t take long before Jack found himself curled around and snuggled close to him, chest to back with Bitty. 

They didn’t say anything for the longest time, Jack only focusing on the sounds of their breathing, but he knew Bitty was still awake. He could tell from the sounds of his breaths, from the feel of his heart quickly beating, and from the small movements he would make every once in awhile.

Jack reveled in the feeling of being so close to Bitty, and he almost didn’t want to fall asleep, afraid he would miss a single moment.

After a while, Jack needed to shift one of his arms after it had gone numb. When he did, his arm swept underneath one of the pillows and Jack felt something… soft.

His hand clutched in and pulled it out from underneath. When he lifted it to his face, he saw the vague shape of a bunny. 

“Uh… Bittle, is this a rabbit?”

Jack immediately heard a mortified gasp, and Bitty shot out of bed. 

“N-no!” He yelled in response and swiped the stuffed animal from Jack’s grasp. 

Jack gave Bitty an unimpressed look. 

“Bittle… it’s literally right there.”

Bitty glared at Jack for a moment before stuffing the rabbit back underneath the pillows. 

“You didn’t see anything Zimmermann, because if you did, I will not be letting you sleep in my bed again!”

Bitty stopped talking, and through the darkness, Jack could see the red creeping up his face. Jack couldn’t blame him, because his own face was warm as well.

“I… I meant that—” BItty began before shaking his head in defeat. “Aw, hell, you know what I meant.”

Jack sat there staring at Bitty for several moments before he quietly answered. “Yeah, yeah I did. And I didn’t see anything here tonight.”

Bitty frowned slightly. 

“I swear, Jack Zimmermann. If you’re chirping me right now, I am not impressed.”

Jack took a deep breath before leaning forward to kiss Bitty’s cheek. 

“When am I not chirping you?”

Bitty stared at Jack for several minutes before slowly lying down and muttering, “Fair point.”

Jack chuckled softly and followed him.


	12. Birthday Cake

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ‘i desperately need a birthday cake and my friend told me you could bake really well au’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This will be continued tomorrow (yeah I know, I do that a lot). Thanks to my wonderful beta Shortlimbs (sadquebecois).

Jack stared down at the address that Holster had sent him over text message. According to him, this was the best option Jack had to get Shitty a proper birthday cake. ‘Bitty’, as both Ransom and Holster affectionately referred to this guy was apparently ‘mad amazing at baking.’

Jack figured that it had to be better to make Shitty a cake that wasn’t store-bought, or made by Jack from a box. If this cake had been for anybody else, Jack would have just given up and done the latter—or the former, depending on the person.

So there Jack stood at the door of an unfamiliar apartment, contemplating whether or not he should knock. Jack didn’t know how long he stayed out there, but it was long enough for the door to eventually swing open, and on the other side was a short, blond man who looked very confused.

“Oh, hello. Did you knock?”

Jack froze for a moment before answering. 

“Uh no, not yet. I was just trying to...”

“Work up the nerve to knock?” Bitty finished for him, giving Jack a comforting smile.

Jack’s face heated up before he nodded, rubbing the back of his neck. 

“Yeah, something like that.”

Bitty shrugged a little before raising his eyebrow. 

“Is there a reason you weren’t knocking on my door?”

“Oh! Right, well I’m in major need of a birthday cake, and my friend Holster said that you make really good cakes and stuff. I’ll pay you of course.”

A look of confusion passed over Bitty’s face. 

“Holster… I don’t remember knowin’ a Holster.”

Jack thought for a moment before remembering that hockey nicknames didn’t always translate over to real life. 

“Adam Birkholtz?”

At the sound of the name, Bitty instantly had a look of recognition on his face.  
“Oh! Yes, now I know. You must be Jack then, right? It totally slipped my mind that I told Adam I’d help you out. Sorry about that.”

Jack shrugged, lips curling around the edges ever so slightly. 

“That’s fine. I really appreciate you doing this for me. You’re a lifesaver.”

Bitty batted a hand dismissively and opened the door up for Jack to come in. 

“No problem. Shitty deserves to have a real cake for his birthday after all! Though, I don’t understand why all of them would put you in charge of the cake when they could have just asked me in the first place.”

A blush crept it’s way onto Jack’s cheeks as he made his way into the apartment, door clicking closed behind him. 

“I think it was just our friends wanting us to finally meet, or something like that.”

Bitty hummed, moving towards a room that Jack assumed was the kitchen and started pulling out ingredients and supplies.

“Do you need any help?” Jack asked tentatively, feeling out of place in the stranger’s apartment.

Bitty seemed to almost jump, as if he forgot about Jack’s presence in his apartment. 

“O-oh! Well, how about you sit down and tell me about yourself? After all, these past few years, we’ve never met. After hearing so much about each other from our friends, you would think we would have eventually.”

“I’m sure you’ve heard more than enough from Ransom and Holster.”

Bitty gave Jack an unimpressed look and placed his hands on his hips. 

“Jack, we both know from experience that those two don’t always give the most accurate representation of people. Besides, there are some things that others can’t say for you.”

“That’s true. They do like to sugarcoat things.”

Bitty hummed in agreement, and Jack was about to start saying something when his phone beeped. Looking down, he saw that it was a text from his manager, telling him that he needed to come see her and the coaches as soon as possible for a meeting.

Jack groaned and shot an apologetic look at the other. “I am so sorry, my manager just texted me, and she sounds frazzled. I’m gonna have to go deal with this.”

Bitty frowned at Jack for a moment before smiling understandably. 

“That’s alright, but now you owe me some smalltalk tomorrow. Don’t think you’ll escape getting to know me!”

Jack stood up and smiled softly back. 

“Wouldn’t dream of anything else. Thanks again for the cake. See you tomorrow!”

Bitty waved goodbye, and Jack left.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My beta made an amazing joke about what Holster texted Jack.
> 
> Holster 7:45 PM:  
> yo broski hit up 111 gay st to get mad boy action #yolo


	13. Birthday Party

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ‘They had the same friends for multiple years but somehow never met until some birthday party au’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 13 is continuation to yesterday’s prompt! I may or may not be planning on some angst for tomorrow. Thanks to my wonderful beta shortlimbs (Sadquebecois)!

The party had so far been a huge success. Everyone had snuck into Shitty’s apartment (with Lardo’s help), and Bitty had come with an amazing cake. The look of excitement on Shitty’s face when he realized what they had planned had made all of their hard work worth it.

Jack had helped set up the decorations and led him up to his apartment. But on the way there after picking Shitty up from class, he needed to get something else: Shitty’s birthday present.

Jack had had the hardest time trying to figure out something he could buy. When Jack had brought up the struggle with his friends, they had jokingly mentioned buying Shitty a motorcycle. Of course, they completely forgot that they were talking to Jack, who was literally a multi-millionaire NHL star.

So, once again with the everyone’s help, Jack picked out and bought what everyone considered the best present Shitty could ever receive.

As they had predicted, Shitty had promptly started bawling the second Jack told him that it was his. Shitty eventually calmed down but broke down again when Jack brought him to his surprise party. 

The party had become a blast after that. They had decided earlier that they wouldn’t bring too much alcohol because they were adults and in the world now. 

Naturally, most of them decided to get blackout drunk. 

Jack, however, not wanting to risk anything, decided to stick to soda and water. Halfway through the party, he felt a small tap on his shoulder. When Jack turned to see who it was, he was pleasantly surprised to find that it was Bitty.

“Hi Jack, I finally found you. I would have looked earlier but I kept getting distracted.”

Jack smiled and shrugged his shoulders. 

“That’s alright. I get it. I’m guessing you’re here to make sure I make good on my promise, huh?”

Bitty smiled and placed a hand on his hip. “You better believe it, Mr. Zimmermann. Don’t think you can get away from me that easily.”

Jack huffed in amusement before looking around and finding the couch empty. 

“Why don’t we sit down? It might be more comfortable.”

 

Bitty smirked and started moving towards the couch. 

“Good idea.”

After that, the two of them talked for what felt like hours. Bitty was the most interesting guy Jack had met in the longest time, and he almost wanted to scold his friends for not introducing them sooner. Jack hadn’t felt this kind of connection with another person since Kent. 

After a few hours of talking and laughing, Ransom ended up making his way over to them, clearly buzzed.

“Hey! Look at you two talking and stuff. I was wondering if you would ever finally meet each other. I mean, I shouldn’t be too surprised, since Holster was trying to hook you two up. But, hey. It’s exciting that it’s working.”

Bitty’s cheeks flared red, and he crossed his arms across his chest, pouting slightly. It was adorable. 

“I knew you two were up to something! You know, not that I’m not happy about meeting Jack and all but, I can get my own dates!”

Ransom waved a dismissive hand. 

“Yeah yeah, but c’mon Bits. We like helping you out. Jack too!”

“They’ve been choosing my dates since college,” Jack admitted quietly.

Bitty sighed and shooed Ransom away. 

“Fine, but get going. I’m trying to work magic here.”

Ransom smirked, gave them a thumbs up, and walked away. Bitty then promptly leaned toward Jack, placing his elbow on the back of the couch. “So, where were we?”

“Uhm, you like my smile?”


	14. What Hurts the Most

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 'Person A and Person B have had a (serious) fall out for a few months now, but Person B has never changed their emergency contact so when they end up in the hospital Person A is called'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 14 everyone! Have some angst! Thanks to my wonderful beta shortlimbs (sadquebecois) for putting up with this pain.

Eric never imagined he’d be in this situation. Every moment since the split between him and Jack he had been barely holding it together, going through the motions day after day. It was surreal to be without Jack for three months when for six whole years it was painful not to have Jack home for the night.

At least then Jack had been safe and unharmed. He had had their friends to take care of him, even if nothing they could do would heal the hurt Jack was feeling inside. But it was for the best. Things were better that way.

At least that was what Eric had told himself until earlier that day. He had gotten a call at work informing him that Jack had been in an accident on the ice. Despite the fear and worry that had gripped Eric’s heart, he couldn’t help wonder why he’d gotten called about it. 

He had almost asked, but when he glanced down at his left hand, missing something nothing other than Jack’s ring could replace, he remembered. He was still Jack’s emergency contact.

Here he was, then, rushing to the hospital like his life depended on it, for his husband. His husband who was technically no longer his.

Eric was numb when he went to the front desk. 

“Hi, I’m here for Jack Bittle?”

The lady peered at him curiously before looking down at her books. 

“Name please?”

“Eric. Eric Bittle; I’m his, uh, h-husband.”

The lady raised an eyebrow at his hesitation but said nothing, no doubt hoping for for elaboration.

“We’re uh, we’re kinda separated right now… but, c-can I see him?”

She sighed quietly but waved a hand to follow her. 

“Right this way. He’s been asking for you.”

Eric blinked in surprise but followed her, wringing his hands together as he did so. 

“He did?”

The receptionist hummed in response, not saying anything else.

“Is he okay? Will he still be able to play hockey?”

 

She said nothing until they stopped in front of the door and turned towards him. 

“Listen—I can’t say much until the doctor comes, but he just came out of surgery. Nothing major, but be gentle with him.”

Eric nodded and watched as the lady walked away. He stood and stared at the door for a long time and suddenly realized why Jack had always had trouble with knocking on the door when they had first started dating.

Eventually he took a deep breath and knocked lightly. After moment, he pushed the door open and entered.

“No, I’m fine; I don’t need anything—oh.”

Eric froze immediately when he saw Jack lying in the hospital bed, looking rougher than Eric could ever remember seeing him. It broke his heart.

“H-hey, Jack. I hope it’s alright I’m here. It’s just, the hospital called because, you know. I’m still your emergency contact, and well, I just thought I should come see you—”

Eric spoke quickly, worried if he stopped talking, Jack would tell him to go away.

“You came.”

Jack marveled breathlessly, like he just couldn’t believe Eric was there. Eric frowned, brows furrowing as he he closed the door and made his way toward Jack’s bed. When he sat down in one of the cheap plastic hospital chairs, Eric forced himself to look Jack in the eye.

“Of course I did, Jack. You thought I wouldn’t?”

Jack didn’t answer, breaking their eye contact with each other. Despite himself, Eric could feel tears welling up in his eyes as he reached for Jack’s hand and lightly touch it with his fingertips.

Jack met his gaze once more, and Eric was surprised to find that tears were in Jack’s eyes as well.

“I know things are difficult right now, Jack. I know that our situation is complicated and hurtful for us both, but don’t think for a moment, Mr. Bittle, that I don’t care about you now like I did on our wedding day. Don’t you believe for a second that I could ever ignore your being in the hospital hurt. The truth is, Jack, it breaks my heart. 

“When I got the phone call earlier, I damn near broke down right then and there, but I couldn’t; coming to see you was more important.”

At this point, tears were falling uncontrollably down his cheeks. It was taking everything he had not to sob.

“B-because even after everything, I still love and care about you. I never stopped, and I never will. Even after our fights and our problems, my feelings for you won’t ever fade. Even if we never work this out, just know that I’ll never stop being here for you.”

By the end of his speech, Eric couldn’t keep the sobs from escaping, and he covered his face with his hands, trying to muffle them.

“Eric, do you mean that?” Jack said eventually, voice quiet and serious.

Eric looked up at Jack, broken cries falling from his lips. “O-of course I do, you big dummy! How could you ever think I didn’t?”

“We’re not together anymore. I thought that meant—”

“Jack, listen to me very closely. Just because we needed a break doesn’t have to mean it’s over. Never once have I said I want a divorce. Never once have I said I didn’t love you. God, Jack. I have never loved a human being quite like I love you.”

They were silent for a few moments, the only sounds were their shuddering breaths. After a minute or so, Eric continued.

“You know, I think I just figured out our whole problem.”

When Jack’s gaze snapped to his, Eric almost laughed through his tears. 

“We suck at communication. It makes me think of my sophomore days. Remember those?”

Jack’s lips curled at the edges ever so slightly. 

“We drove ourselves crazy thinking we didn’t like each other back. And that time when I was trying to propose—”

“I thought you were tryin’ to break up with me. I remember,” Eric finished, sharing a smile with Jack. 

“Hey, there’s always been a pattern. We’ve always worked things out. It just takes some time. I can wait.”

Jack didn’t say anything, too lost in thought. Eric reached forward and laced his fingers with Jacks, bringing the hand to his lips in a kiss. When Jack turned to smile at him, Eric sighed softly. 

“I think we’re gonna be okay Jack.”

“Yeah, I think so too.”


	15. One Night Love Affair

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 'ONE NIGHT STAND BEFORE THE FIRST DAY OF YOUR NEW JOB AND OOPS THAT WAS YOUR NEW BOSS YOU WERE SLEEPING WITH AU'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy half way day! Here’s some cheesy nerds to make up for yesterday! Thanks to my wonderful beta shortlimbs (sadquebecois). Also yes, I did name this prompt after the Bryan Adam's song

Eric took a deep breath as he walked through the doors of his new workplace. He checked himself once again in the reflection of the glass. He couldn’t help feeling a little self conscious, considering last night’s events. 

Eric still didn’t know what had moved him to do it. It went against everything he had ever believed in—everything that he thought he valued in being intimate with another person. 

But there had been something about that man’s strong jawline that he’d just needed to kiss; something about his sculpted chest and arms that he’d just yearned to have hold him. Eric would have stopped himself, but if they were both consenting and sober, well, who was he to deny himself something he wanted?

Eric hadn’t stayed the night, telling his companion that he had work the next day and couldn’t stay. He had seemed disappointed but had understood, making sure Eric made it home safely. He had even gone as far as to give Eric money for a taxi, claiming he had more than enough and that he didn’t want Eric to risk anything.

Eric had found it endearing and almost regretted not being able to stay the night.

When he dubbed himself good enough to enter a professional environment, Eric continued further into the building, walking towards a desk at the front.

“Uhm, hello. My name is Eric Bittle. I’m here because I’m starting a new job today as an assistant. Do you think you could tell me where to go?”

The man at the desk glanced down at a list. 

“Ah, yes, Mr. Bittle. I was told you would be coming today. Why don’t you just go sit down for a moment, and someone will be right with you.”

Eric nodded, sat in the nearest chair to him, and ran a hand through his hair. He resisted pulling his phone out of his pocket, figuring that he would look unprofessional if he did.

Luckily, it didn’t take long before a confident woman with a determined look on her face walked in the room. Eric immediately stood up and gave his best smile.

“You must be Mr. Bittle. It’s great to meet you. I’m Georgia Martin; one of the Falconers’ managers.”

She brought her hand towards Eric, and he met her for a handshake that turned out to be firmer than expected.

“That’s me! It’s great to meet you. Thank you so much for this opportunity. It means a lot.”

Georgia pulled her hand away to wave it dismissively. 

“Don’t worry about it. We’re all glad to have you here. Even if Jack doesn’t say it, he’s grateful he’ll have someone handling his schedule and the media for him. Everyone knows he has no clue unless it involves playing hockey.”

She walked away in the direction she came from, and Eric took that as a sign that he should follow her.

“Now, one thing I should warn you about is that he can be kind of prickly towards people. It’s not that he wants to be rude or offend you; it’s that he’s not a people person. I’m sure once you get to know him, he’ll warm up to you. Well, as much as he can.”

Eric nodded, looking around at everything they passed. After walking a while, she eventually led them into an almost empty conference room with only one person looking out the window. Eric could only see his back at the moment, but it seemed familiar. It was something he couldn’t put his finger on.

“Morning, Jack. I brought a surprise today. Meet your new assistant, Eric.”

At first glance Eric thought of Jack as a stranger when he turned around. But then, as he took in Jack’s whole figure, he recognized him. He remembered those cheekbones and that jawline and—Oh, god. 

Eric’s whole body heated up at the realization. This wasn’t just any old stranger Eric had seen in passing on the street. This was the same man that he had spent the night with only hours before. The same man who had done very unprofessional things to him and who Eric would be working for from now on.

He wanted to cry.

When Eric finally met his gaze, he noticed that Jack had a similar horrified expression.

Georgia picked up on the sudden tenseness in the air, and she glanced at her empty wrist.

“Wow! Would you look at the time? I’ve gotta go, or I’m gonna be late for a thing. You kids have fun!”

She wasted no time before she left the room, door clicking closed behind her. Suddenly, they were all alone.

Eric was the first to break the awkward silence, collapsing in one of the swivel chairs and muttering louder than he realized. 

“Oh, my god. I can’t believe this. The one time I ever have a one night stand, and it’s with my boss. This is karma isn’t it? I’m not a perfect gentleman for the first time, and it bites me in the butt. This is what I get for being tempted by a nice face and muscles.”

A quiet cough broke Eric’s quiet self-berating, and he looked up. Jack had sat in the chair next to him, hands shaking slightly.

“Listen. If it makes you feel any better, I’m just as scared as you are.”

Eric swallowed and ran a hand through his hair. He was about to reply when a horrible thought ran through his mind.

“W-wait, you’re not gonna fire me are you? I swear, I can be professional about it. I won’t ever mention it to anyone, but I need this job! You have no idea how long I’ve been lookin,’ so please!”

Jack blinked in surprise, eyebrows furrowing. “Wait, what? You thought I was going to fire you? Why?”

“Because sleeping with your new boss isn’t really professional! I figure it would be embarrassing to you. Or something.”

Jack shook his head slightly. 

“Eric, your job is mostly just handling my schedule and social media accounts. Not to mention you’re my only ‘employee,’ if I can even consider you that. Everybody already knows I’m gay, and we’re both adults. I’m not gonna fire you over something that I not only enjoyed, but also happened without you knowing who I was.

“Especially when I know how cute you are.”

Eric’s head snapped towards Jack’s completely, eyes wide.”Wh-what?”

Jack sighed, reaching forward for Eric’s hand. 

“Listen, I don’t think I told you this last night, but I really enjoyed myself. I was going to ask you if you wanted to maybe go on a date with me sometime, but you were in such a big rush to leave I completely forgot. So what do you say?”

Eric could barely get a word out, only nodding in response. Jack smiled softly and leaned forward.

“Can I… kiss you?”

Eric shuddered but nodded, and Jack wasted no time before pressing their lips together.

They stayed like that for a while, not noticing when George returned, rolling her eyes in amusement before leaving again.

“Should have seen this coming.”


	16. Lyin’ On the Cold Hard Ground

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> i found you crying in the toilets au.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 16! Back to a little bit of angst today. Thanks to my wonderful beta@shortlimbs (@sadquebecois). Also that title is like 65% a joke, 10% a thing that happens, and 25% me not being sure what to name this.

It had been a quiet day in the Haus. Despite Jack and Shitty coming to visit, they never did anything profound. They played video games and watched dumb movies. It was a fairly uneventful weekend.

The only difference was that Bittle had barely been around. If he wasn’t in the kitchen baking up a storm, saying nothing other than, “Don’t you dare touch that pie,” he was in his room. 

Of course, Jack wasn’t the only one who had noticed. Every once in awhile, somebody would shoot a worried glance in the direction of the kitchen. 

At one point in the day, the sounds in the kitchen stopped abruptly. Bittle suddenly burst from the kitchen in a move to run upstairs. Seconds later there was a bang from a door slamming. After everyone had shared worried glances with one another (except Jack), they all turned to look expectantly in his direction.

Jack was about to ask why everyone was looking at him when he locked eyes with Shitty. He jerked his head towards the stairs, gaze hardening.

Jack rose from the couch slowly, self-conscious of all the eyes that were upon him, and quietly made his way up. It wasn’t until he reached the top of the stairs that he heard it.

Small broken sobs cut through the air like glass, and Jack’s heart broke. 

He was careful as he tiptoed across the floor, unfortunately unable to stop the small creaks that happened anyways.

At first he thought that it was coming from Bittle’s bedroom, but after pressing his ear to the door, he figured that it was coming from somewhere along the hall. 

As he continued down, he realized that Bittle was in the bathroom. Now that he was standing in front of the room, though, he had no idea what he was going to do. He could knock, but that would just be setting himself up for failure. Bittle surely wouldn’t answer in this state.

He could call for him, but that wouldn’t help anything. So, Jack decided that testing the handle would be the best option. While he personally didn’t like confrontations, Jack had to do something effective.

When he twisted the knob, he found that, in his rush, Bittle hadn’t locked the door. It swung open easily, and Jack breathed sharply when he took everything in. Laying there, crumpled on the ground, was Bitty. Jack had never seen him look so broken; it was painful.

When Bitty noticed someone had opened the door, his head shot up in horror. A broken sob fell when they locked eyes. 

“Please, just go away, Jack.”

Jack almost left before he decided to sit down next to Bitty instead. As soon as he did, Bitty scooted away, fingers reaching into his hair to pull at the strands. 

“Please.”

“What’s wrong Bittle? You can tell me—you know that right?”

Bitty seemed to sob harder then, if that was even possible. Jack cautiously brought a hand to brush Bitty’s shoulder. The second that it touched, Bitty ripped himself away.

“I can’t tell you! I can’t. If I do, you’ll hate me.”

Jack was taken aback by the reaction, and he held his hand to his chest like he had been burned. 

“Bittle, what are you—”

“Fine! I love you. Is that what you wanted to hear, Zimmermann? Now you know. The secret’s out—I love you. 

“Now go on; Say you hate me. Say you never want to see me again because I’m awful and gross and—”

Jack didn’t let Bitty get any further before he reached forward, cupped his cheeks, and pulled their lips together.

Bitty didn’t respond for a few moments before launching forward and kissing Jack back, wrapping his arms around his shoulders. 

They stayed like that, kissing desperately on the dirty bathroom floor for longer than they knew. When they finally pulled away, they smiled, and in that moment they knew everything would turn out okay.


	17. Falling For You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> you jog shirtless past my house every morning au

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 17! Here’s some cheesy fluff. Sorry it’s not my best. It was an off day. Thanks to my wonderful beta shortlimbs (sadquebecois) whose become my American equivalent to a brit picker.

Eric took a sip of coffee as he sat perched on the arm of his sofa, staring out the window. This was it; today would finally be the day that Eric would get the guts to say hi to the cute shirtless jogger who passed by his house every day.

Eric thrummed with nervousness. He wasn’t a confrontational kind of person. He didn’t like to go out and do things for himself. He would rather sit inside and admire from afar, never letting the guy know. But Eric felt like it would be a wasted opportunity to not at least make his presence known.

So when Eric caught a glimpse of an incoming figure, he set his cup down on the nearest table and walked towards the door. By the time he opened it, nonchalantly as he could, the stranger had already come up in front of his sidewalk, his muscles shining with sweat. It took every bit of energy in his body to stop himself from swooning.

Eric closed the door behind him and knelt down to sit on the step. As he did, he hesitantly waved, and to his surprise, he got a wave back. They seemed to share a moment—it was all perfect.

Until the guy tripped.

It happened in slow motion: the poor guy tripping over a crack, his falling onto the sidewalk, his pained grunt.

“Oh, my goodness! Are you alright?” Eric exclaimed, gasping in horror as he sprung up and rushed down his walkway to the fallen form. When Eric got to his side, he leant down offering his hand.

“Ugh, yeah. That was not a good plan.”

He took Eric’s hand gratefully, and the jogger dragged himself up. 

“Thanks.”

Eric shrugged, reluctantly taking his hand back.

“Don’t worry about it. 

“I’m Eric by the way. I see you jog by everyday, so it’s nice to finally meet you.”

“Oh, I’m Jack. Yeah I take pretty much the same route every day. I’m a professional athlete so I have to stay in shape.”

Jack, inspected his skinned elbows, frowning. Eric winced as he caught a glimpse of the damage.

“H-hey, I can fix those up if you want. I’ve got a first aid kid inside, and it’d only take a second.”

Jack mulled it over for a moment before shrugging. 

“Alright, if you don’t mind.”

Eric waved a dismissive hand before he gestured towards Jack to sit on the step.

“Not at all. Just wait here, and I’ll be back in a tick.”

True to his word, Eric was in and out of his house in record time, sitting down next to Jack. He gently began to work on fixing the cuts. It only took a couple minutes considering they were minor, and nothing some neosporin and larger band-aids couldn’t fix.

When he finished, Jack stared down at his elbows. 

“That’s it?”

Eric huffed in amusement, closing up the first-aid kit.

“Would you like me to kiss it better?”

It only took a moment for Eric to realize what he said, but when he did, his face heated up in embarrassment.

“S-sorry. That was inappropriate.”

Jack shook his head, an amused smile tugging at his lips. 

 

“I didn’t mind. But you seem like the kind of guy to take me to dinner first.”

Eric raised his eyebrows before crossing his arms. 

“I do happen to be a proper gentleman thank you very much. My mama taught right.”

“Then how about I pick you up on Friday at six?”

Eric gaped at him, face heating up ever slightly more. 

“O-okay.”

“Sounds like a plan. See you later.”

Jack didn’t wait for Eric to respond before he was up and jogging again.


	18. Just Because

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 'I love hockey, I am Ruler of the Rink and apparently I don’t know my own strength because I just crushed you into the boards I’m so sorry'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 18! Have some established nerds playing hockey. Thanks to my wonderful beta shortlimbs(sadquebecois) who stopped me from making this angsty by making it cute. Also, if there are any mistakes, blame them on me and my awful schedule.

Jack loved mornings like this: the days where he dragged Bitty out of bed at five and brought him to the rink to practice—where it would be just the two of them gliding together on the ice, chirping each other. 

It made him think of his junior year. The only difference was that then it had been a chore—to ensure their team could work and to try to be a good captain. Now it was a rare treat. It was something that only happened every once in awhile if Jack was lucky. Some days he regretted not taking full advantage of those times.

Eric acted like he was upset about having to get up so early, groaning and attempting to snuggle back under their covers. Jack just coaxed him out with kisses and later promises of recompense. His resistance was just an act to hide how much he missed playing. Especially playing with Jack. 

They decided to gear up lightly, so it didn’t take long for them to get on the ice and playing. There was no reason to, considering they usually only played a little one-on-one. It always reminded Jack of how great their chemistry was, on ice and off.

Their game was easy and light-hearted at first, both of them teasingly scoring goals, and Eric testing to see if his dekes would fool Jack. It wasn’t until they had been there for about an hour that their game started heating up.

Eric stole the puck from Jack through an impressive poke check and sped away, and things became tense. While Eric was faster than most players, he was out of shape, which made it easier for Jack to catch up.

Without thinking, once Jack was at his heels, he ran straight into Eric, body checking him into the boards. It wasn't until the aftermath that Jack realized his mistake. He pulled away instantly, heart aching when he Eric slipped down the boards, grimacing.

"Oh, god, Eric are you alright? I’m so sorry. I can't believe I just did that."

Jack knelt down, lightly touching Eric’s shoulder as his eyes swept over him in worry.

Eric didn't answer right away, but when he did, he waved a dismissive hand, forcing a smile.

"Yeah, I'm fine Jack. It's alright, I forget you're a big strong hockey player sometimes get a little reckless. I’m glad we were on the same team. You probably would have ripped me apart out there."

Once he’d caught his breath, Eric attempted to stand up, legs shaking with the effort. He was, of course, not fine and ended up falling back down on his butt, grimacing once again. 

"Ouch."

Jack's brows furrowed, and he leaned forward, gently wrapping his arms around Eric. He protested, but Jack didn't let up until his boyfriend was safely in his arms. Jack shakily stood up, unused to the extra weight of another human while on skates.

"J-Jack! What are you doin'?"

"That's enough hockey for today. I'm taking you home instead."

Eric looked up at Jack and smirked ever so slightly. 

"Wow! Never thought I'd hear you say somethin' like that, Mr. Zimmermann.”

“I don’t think about hockey all the time.” 

Jack frowned, slowly skating back to the bench.

“Right. Sometimes you think about me. Kinda like right now I guess.” 

Eric’s smirk softened into a smile, and he leaned up to nuzzle Jack’s neck affectionately.

When they reached the bench, Jack gently deposited Eric and kneeled down to help him take off his skates.

“You know, I’m actually impressed with myself right now.”

Jack hummed curiously as he pulled at the laces. 

“About what?”

“Well, think about it. I just got checked by an NHL player full force, and didn’t even pass out! I call that a win.”

Jack looked up at Eric, a little surprised, before he smiled. 

“Yeah, you did. I guess I can say my checking practice paid off, huh?”

As Jack pulled off the skates, Eric started to take off all the other gear he had on. When they finished getting everything back in their bags, Eric tried to stand back up, but Jack stopped him and picked Eric up in his arms, heading for the door.

Before Eric could ask, Jack answered his question. 

“Just because.”

“Alright then.” 

Eric shrugged and settled into Jack’s arms.


	19. Some Kinda Way

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> my best friend has a popular youtube channel and drags me into their videos and people comment on how we seem like a couple isn’t that awkward au

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 19! Now before you say anything, this will be continued tomorrow. Thanks to my wonderful beta shortlimbs (sadquebecois)!

Ever since the day on the bus when an anon had asked about his vlog, everyone on the Samwell hockey team knew of Bitty’s hobby. They only knew about it in passing, though. It never crossed any of their minds to actually look it up; they respected Bitty’s privacy too much for that. 

It stayed that way for the longest time, the boys pushing it out of their minds, even after Bitty’s graduation. Everyone figured it would be a sort of secret unless it hit big. 

Then, one day, Bitty asked Jack to star in a hockey themed episode. It had been a special on the best snack foods for game day. After Bitty had graduated, he’d started making cooking tutorial videos along with his occasional vlogs.

Jack thought nothing of it at the time, being more than happy to help with Bitty’s growing channel. In fact, Jack had thought it had been a lot of fun in the end, with the added bonus of eating the results.

After that first time, Bitty found that his audience absolutely loved it, even though barely any of them were hockey fans. They just enjoyed seeing them make videos together. So Bitty asked Jack to keep coming back now and then, just for fun.

Even though by now, Jack had now appeared in several videos, he assumed that the unspoken rule of not watching still applied. Of course, when Bitty found out that he still had never seen a single one out of politeness, he worked to set that straight.

“I can’t believe you haven’t seen a single video of mine, Jack! I mean, it’s sweet that you thought about my feelings and all, but you’re kind of a part of my channel now. I think it’s safe to say that you’re not infringing on my privacy. Well, unless you go way back through to my first videos. If you do that, I’ll probably have to try to kick that famous butt of yours.”

Jack shrugged as Bitty handed him the laptop, shaking his head in disappointment.

“I don’t know. We all assumed that you didn’t want us watching them, so we didn’t. Just because I’ve popped up in a couple videos doesn’t mean you changed your mind.”

“Oh, Jack. You sweet summer child.”

Bitty leaned over and started searching for a specific video, scrolling faster than Jack could follow.

“I’m older than you—”

Bitty cut Jack off, shushing him as he clicked the link. “Just watch, Zimmermann.”

For the majority of the afternoon, Bitty showed him some of his favourite videos he’d made, telling Jack anecdotes about things that had happened behind the scenes. 

They eventually got to the ones Jack was in, and it seemed almost surreal. The amount of views the video had completely blew his mind. That many people sitting down at their computers and spending time watching him and Bitty cook triggered the warm feeling that happened whenever he thought of spending time with Bitty.

When he looked down on the comments, that feeling got worse. Among the many ridiculous and random thoughts were dozens upon dozens of cutesy notes saying how cute they were together.

“Aw you two would make the best couple.”

“You know, I’m not sure these two are just friends.”

“Ugh their kitchen chemistry is so strong!”

Jack was tempted to mention these comments to Bitty but decided against it. It made him think, though. Jack had always been bad at knowing what he was feeling. He always had to try and explain his thoughts to others so they could help him out. Or, mostly, he just ignored the feeling entirely.

Jack had two choices at this moment. He could talk to Bitty about these comments and why they made him feel a certain way—why Bitty had always made him feel a certain way. Or he could opt out of mentioning it entirely.

He chose the latter.


	20. Photograph Me Like One of Your French Canadian Girls

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 'I asked you to be my model for photography and since when the fuck were you so photogenic holy shit'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 20! Ugh I am so sorry for being so late with this. I had absolutely no time to write on Friday. Day 21 will be up in a few minutes! Thanks to my wonderful beta shortlimbs (sadquebecois)!

“Bittle, please. I’m begging you. Would you stop moving?”

Jack had spent a good chunk of the last hour barking at Bitty to sit still. What had started as a simple afternoon of Jack taking photos of Bittle for practice had turned into a completely frustrating experience. 

“I’m tryin,’ Jack, but I can’t find a pose that I like!”

Jack huffed in annoyance. 

“You know, when I asked you if I could take your picture, I never imagined it would be this painful.”

Bitty shrugged, twisting the strings on his hoodie absentmindedly. 

“Have you actually looked at any of the pictures, Jack? I think you’re making a bigger deal out of this than you need to.”

Jack furrowed his brows and quickly glanced at the preview screen before looking back up. 

“What do you mean?”

Bitty’s eyes darted towards the camera before he stood up abruptly. 

“I need to go to the bathroom. Be back in a tick.”

Bitty’s reaction confused him even more before he finally reviewed the photos he’d taken. What it revealed surprised him completely.

Almost all of them, despite the difficulty he’d had taking them, were beautiful. At the sight of Bitty with the sun making his hair glow and his beautiful smile, the familiar tightness in Jack’s chest reared it’s ugly head.

How did the universe expect Jack to hide his feelings when Bitty looked so gorgeous? 

The longer Jack looked, the tighter his chest got. It was then that Jack knew he couldn’t hide it anymore. Tears gathered in the corners of his eyes, and he was so distracted by his inner turmoil that he didn’t hear Bitty reenter the room.

“Jack?”

Bitty’s voice broke through Jack’s thoughts, and he took a deep breath, turning his head in the direction of the sound.

“I can’t do this anymore.”

Bitty’s face grew confused instantly. 

“Can’t do what Jack?”

“Bitty I—I can’t keep lying to myself. Or you. I kept thinking I could push my feelings away and my life would be better that way. I would never be rejected by someone who means the world to me. But the truth is, Bitty, I love you. I’ve loved you a long time, and I don’t think I’ll ever stop. 

“So if you could do me a favour and either let me down easy or tell me you feel the same, I’d really appreciate it.”

Bitty stood there for a moment, mouth agape. The silence killed any hopes of his love being requited then and there. His hopes were stupid in the first place.

Bitty slowly moved to Jack’s side and sat down. 

“Jack, after all these years I’ve known you, how could you not notice how obvious I am? Especially after reading all of the comments on my videos.”

Jack stared at Bitty disbelieving. 

“What are you saying?”

Bitty rolled his eyes, a small smile growing. 

“That I love you, emotional constipation and all.”

Jack launched forward and clutched onto Bitty, pulling him in for a tight embrace.

Bitty wasted no time in hugging back. They sat there in silence for longer than Jack knew, but neither of them complained. Finally Bitty pulled away from Jack and smiled.

“Hey, what do you say about me making some food, and then we can talk?”

Jack sighed happily, smiling. “Sounds perfect.”


	21. Digitizing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ‘Omg I can’t believe you still listen to CDs let me help you digitize’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 21! Once again, I am so sorry for being so late with this. This is so uneventful and dumb and short but I hope you guys like it. Thanks to my wonderful beta shortlimbs (sadquebecois)!

Jack slammed another button on his CD player, growling in frustration as it ignored his request. Hearing him struggle, Bitty walked in the room, wrapped his arms around Jack’s waist, and pressed his face into Jack’s shoulder.

“What’s got you in such a state, sweetheart?”

Jack gestured wildly to his player, frowning. “Well, I was trying to play one of my CDs, but this thing is being fussy and rude.”

Bitty sighed deeply and pulled away from Jack in favour of moving his hands to his hips. 

“Jack, darlin,’ I know you love your CDs, but don’t you think it’s time to digitize? I’m not sayin’ you have to get rid of your whole collection. I just think maybe you should move them onto an iPod or somethin.’ I think it’s time.”

Jack frowned and crossed his arms over his chest, huffing.

“Ugh, fine. I’ll bite. But you’re doing most of it, because I have no idea what I’m doing.”

“Doesn’t it pay off sometimes to have a boyfriend who’s in the know with these things?”

Jack grumbled a small agreement, and they got to work.

They spent the majority of the day loading discs onto Jack’s laptop and putting them onto an iPod that had gathered dust through disuse.

When they finished, Jack beamed in excitement at having all of his albums in one place and kissed Bitty on the cheek. It didn’t take long before Jack’s music drifted through their apartment.

Even though Bitty groaned and complained, it paid off to see Jack so happy.


	22. Never Miss A Moment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ‘Maybe if we met before the apocalypse I could have loved you properly.'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 22! Have some Zombie au angst! Thanks to my wonderful beta shortlimbs (sadquebecois)!

Eric sat quietly with Jack, back against his chest as they stared at the wall. The sounds of their friends chattering in the next room of their temporary shelter were the only things keeping the place from being eerily quiet. 

Jack’s hand trailed up and down his arm, and Eric leaned further into Jack’s touch. For the longest time they were quiet, just enjoying the feeling of their closeness. 

With their lives and the world the way they were now, having someone you could trust and be close to was hard to come by. After everything that had gotten them to this point, undead and all, it still surprised Eric how long they had survived.

Eric had been enjoying the comfortable silence until Jack broke it, voice small and vulnerable.

“Sometimes I think that if we had met before this apocolypse, I could have loved you properly. Like my parents loved each other. Like a normal couple.”

Eric immediately stiffened in Jack’s arms, breath catching in his throat. He turned around slowly and met Jack’s gaze. 

“Jack what are you—”

“You know what I’m talking about, Eric. Before all this happened, I just wanted someone to trust. Someone who could make me forget about worrying for just a second. Then all hell broke loose and I just—I lost all hope.”

Tears gathered in Jack’s eyes, a few slipping down his cheeks.

“Then I found you. How am I supposed to be who you need when I don’t even know if we’ll survive the next week?”

Jack broke off into small sobs, and Eric leaned forward to cup his cheeks, shushing him softly.

“Jack, I know things are hard. We’ll never have a regular relationship, and that makes things difficult. It’ll drive you insane if you keep thinkin’ about it, though. All we can focus on is making our time together as meaningful as possible so that we never miss a moment.”

Jack swallowed, breath shuddering as he nodded. He squeezed his eyes shut, pulling Eric in for a tight embrace. They sat there clutching onto each other tightly. It wasn’t until Shitty’s voice interrupted them that they broke apart.

“Hey, love birds—I know you guys like your privacy and all, but we need to rest so we can move on in the morning. Who knows how long it’ll be before we find another good shelter”

Eric looked in Shitty’s direction, nodding and giving him a small smile. 

“Alright, we’ll be in in just a second.”

Shitty shrugged before he left them alone once more. When Eric turned his attention back to Jack, he used his thumbs to wipe away the tears that had collected on his face. 

“You gonna be okay?”

Jack sniffed, bobbing his head. 

“Then let’s go back in.”

Jack made no protest when Eric helped him to his feet, and they made their way to bed.


	23. Stuck On You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 'my mum knows your mum and they’re trying to set us up but all i can remember of you is that time you stuck gum in my hair when we were seven so i automatically don’t like you'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 23! I have no idea what this is. Thanks to my wonderful beta shortlimbs (sadquebecois)!

"Jack, please, can't you just think about it? Just meet the guy; it would really mean a lot to me. It might not lead to anything, but could you just give the poor boy a chance?"

Jack sighed deeply, running a hand through his hair and leaning against the counter. Alicia Zimmermann had been trying to convince him for the last hour to go on a date with an old friend’s son.

“Mom, the last time I met this guy, he was seven, and he stuck gum in my hair. I don’t know about you, but that doesn’t sit right with me. I had a bald spot for months. I still don’t think it’s grown back evenly.”

On the other end of the line his mother made a noise of disappointed disapproval. 

“Honey, don’t you think that’s an overreaction? You can’t just go around judging people for things they did as children. Don’t dismiss him before you even get to know him. He’s a very sweet boy.

“If nothing else, just go to dinner.”

Jack sat there for a moment, squeezing his eyes shut. He knew already that this fight would not end until Jack did as his mother suggested. He definitely got his stubbornness from her.

“Alright, fine. Just text me his number. I’ll work things out, I guess.”

“Great, but there’s no need. I already called your assistant and booked it for tomorrow! Remember to dress nicely, have fun, and be nice. I love you!” 

Before Jack could respond, his mother had already hung up the phone, the click terminating their conversation.  
***  
Jack adjusted his tie nervously. He checked the time on his phone for what had to be the sixth time that night. He had arrived early and spent the last ten minutes staring at the sign, trying to stay outside for as long as possible.

When he looked, he realized that it was finally time for his date. Taking a deep breath, Jack stepped through the doors and went to the front desk. 

“Hello. Is there a reservation for Zimmermann?”

The waitress glanced down at a list on the desk in front of her. When she found the reservation, she glanced up, smiled, and grabbed two menus. 

“Right this way.”

She led Jack to a nice table by one of the windows, slightly separate from the rest. Jack got comfortable in his seat and looked around as he waited for Eric to arrive.

It didn’t take long for Eric to show up. Despite his less-than-positive attitude going into this date, he couldn’t help but notice how attractive Eric was. 

“Hi, there.” Eric smiled charmingly, sitting across from Jack. 

“It’s real nice to meet you, Jack. I mean, I know that we met when we were little, but in all honesty, we were different then. It’s basically like meeting all over again, don’t you think?.”

Just like that, all of the ideas that Jack had had about how this date would go completely flew out of his mind. While Jack was all for holding onto his anger, Eric forced him to keep an open mind.

“Yeah, sure. That’s a good idea.”

Eric examined him for a moment before his lips curled in slight amusement. “Oh, my god. Are you still bitter about the gum thing? My mama reminded me about the it the other day, because I totally forgot. 

“It doesn’t look like you did though. ”

Jack cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his neck, blushing in embarrassment.

“Yeah, I still remember. At first I was planning to stay upset about it all night, but you’re right. It’s not really fair to blame you for something you did when you were seven.”

Eric huffed in amusement, shaking his head slightly.

“You’re an interesting guy, Jack. Only certain people would hold a grudge about a little kid putting gum in their hair.”

“Heh, well I do admit that was a little silly of me to assume you’d be the same guy you were as a kid.”

Eric hummed softly, giving Jack a small smile.

“Now that we got that out of the way, what do you say about us getting to know each other better?”

“Sure, sounds great.”


	24. Under the Stars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 'Staring up at the stars at a bonfire holding hands and listening to friends sitting around them rambling drunk off their heads'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 24! Sorry that this is late!. Today’s will be (hopefully) posted later. Thanks to my wonderful beta shortlimbs (sadquebecois)!

Eric sighed happily as he stared up at the sky. The night was clear, and the stars were bright. Really, that was all he could ever want on summer night—to be surrounded by people he loved and cared about, the sound of his friends chattering around the campfire filling the silence. 

Eric had first suggested they go on a trip to ensure that they would never drift apart, and everyone had agreed. Maybe it was him being insecure, but his friends meant the world to him even though their lives had drifted in different directions.

They decided to have a week long camping trip, everyone taking the time off of their jobs and their lives to make it work. All they had done was swim at the lake, go hiking, and laze around, but it had been one of the best weeks Eric had ever had. It made it a shame that tonight was the last night.

Beside him on the grass, Jack shifted slightly closer and inched his hand over. Eric contentedly accepted the comfort and moved in as well. 

“I can’t believe tonight’s our last night.”

“Yeah. It moved quicker than I would have liked.”

Eric hummed softly, twining his fingers with Jack’s.

“I’m glad I’m here right now though. With you and with them. In a little while you’ll be going back to start the season. I hate that you won’t be around as much anymore.”

Eric tipped his head over to look at Jack, whose eyebrows were furrowed and whose lips were twitched into a frown. Jack curled as close as he could, resting his face in Eric’s neck, placing a small kiss there.

“I know it’s hard for you when I’m gone. It’s hard for me too, but I will always come back to you. I’ll try not to get too focused on hockey, and we’ll make this work. 

“We’ll make it work because I love you, and after everything, there’s no way I’m letting you go.”

Eric closed his eyes, sighing happily.

“I love you, too, Jack.”

They sat in silence for a few minutes, soaking in each other’s company before Shitty’s voice disrupted them. 

“Come on, lovebirds! We’re making marshmallows, and if you don’t get up now, they’ll all be gone.”

Jack and Eric smiled at each other before they stood up to join everyone else.


	25. May I Have This Dance?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 'Walking in on significant other dancing to a cheesy love song'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 24! Sorry that I’m late again!. Thanks to my wonderful beta shortlimbs (sadquebecois)!

Jack turned the key in his lock and pushed the door open. When he walked into the apartment, he smiled at the warm way it made him feel to be in the home he shared with Bitty. He was about the yell to Bitty that he’d come back, but the sound of nearby music stopped him.

Jack quietly dropped his bag off at the door and made his way over to where the music was coming from. His heart nearly stopped in his chest when he saw Bitty swaying to some cheesy, romantic song Jack had never heard before.

Bitty was facing the window to their living room, his back to Jack. Bitty didn’t hear Jack walk into the room or come closer, so when Jack said, “Nice dancing, Bittle,” he jumped five feet in the air, tripping backwards.

Jack caught him quickly, silently thanking his reflexes. His arms wrapped around Bitty’s waist, and if someone didn’t know better, it would look like Jack was dipping Bitty.

Bitty clutched onto Jack’s biceps and smiled nervously.

“Thanks. I didn’t expect you to be home so early.”

Jack shrugged slightly, lips curling.

“Decided to leave earlier than usual. Thought maybe we could have some sort of a date night? Haven’t had one of those in a while.”

Without saying anything, Jack gently pulled Bitty up, but instead of letting go, he began swaying slightly. The song in the background changed to something equally as cheesy, and Jack figured it was one of Bitty’s romantic playlists.

“Well, I can’t say I mind that at all. Look at you, bein’ all romantic.”

Jack rolled his eyes, moving his hands so they sat more comfortably on Bitty’s waist. Bitty responded in kind by wrapping his arms around Jack’s neck, sighing in contentment.

“I try to be, sometimes. I know I’m not the best, but I do like doing stuff together.”

Bitty hummed softly, leaning forward to rest his head on Jack’s chest. They were silent for a few moments, enjoying each other’s company and the feel of the other pressed against them.

“This is nice.”

Bitty said after a while, pressing a soft kiss over Jack’s heart. Jack’s breath hitched and he rubbed his thumbs gently across Bitty’s hips.

“Yeah. It definitely is.”

They already lost track of how many songs that had played since they started, but it didn’t matter, because they didn’t want to stop anytime soon.


	26. The Holes of My Sweater

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 'COLD TEMPERATURES FORCE CHARACTERS INTO CLOSE PROXIMITY.'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 26! Ugh I am so so sorry that being late is getting to be a habit. I will do my very best to get 27 and 28 done tomorrow but I just don’t have the stamina right now to write 27. Thanks to my wonderful beta shortlimbs (sadquebecois)!

It was a freezing day, even considering that it was winter. Bitty was huddling into his jacket and scarf and trying not to chatter his teeth. If he were to start, he’d never stop.

Jack surprised them all with a visit to Samwell and decided to drag Bitty out to Annie’s. Though Jack wasn’t able to make it out often with his busy schedule, he still made time for the occasional coffee. 

For some ungodly reason, Jack had decided they would walk. Bitty had bundled up as much as he could, but it just wasn’t enough to protect him from the cold.

Jack didn’t notice Bitty’s distress at first, rambling instead about player stats and team morale. When he finally took the time to really look at Bitty, it was obvious he was almost frozen.

“Bittle, are you alright?”

Bitty shivered violently, wrapping his arms around himself, shaking his head. He didn’t trust himself to speak. All that would come out would be chattering teeth and miserable noises.

Jack looked contemplative for a moment before he reached over, slung his arm around Bitty’s shoulders, and tugged him closer. Walking was more difficult, but it made all the difference in the world.

Bitty pressed into Jack’s side, stealing as much warmth as he could. When he was warm enough to talk, he mumbled out a, “Thanks, Jack,” and smiled gratefully.

Though Bitty couldn’t see it, Jack was smiling too.


	27. Sex Bears (“The Word ‘Hair’ Was Not the Problem With ‘Sex Hair’”)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 'Imagine Person A of your OTP seeing Person B with bed hair for the first time, and being totally blown away by how cute/hot/etc. they look with their hair being a huge mess. Bonus: if Person A gets flustered when Person B pokes fun at them for liking it.'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 27! I am gonna do my very very best to get 28 done right away. Thanks to my wonderful beta @shortlimbs (@sadquebecois)!

Bitty groaned as the early morning light hit his eyes. He pressed his face into the heavy warmth next to him and smiled as he remembered last night.

Only hours before, Bitty had finally confessed his feelings for Jack, and to his relief, Jack felt the same. They’d spent the night together, and sleeping next to Jack was better than he had ever imagined. 

When he lifted his head, Bitty’s heart skipped a beat. He had never seen Jack with bedhead before, but now he felt like he might not survive if he never saw it again.

Jack’s hair was mussed and spread across the pillows, illuminated by the sun peeking through the window. Bitty couldn’t tear his eyes away, and by the time Jack opened his eyes, he’d been staring for at least twenty minutes. 

When Jack focused on Bitty, a goofy smile stretched across his face. It was a smile that Bitty knew was only for him. 

“Mornin,’ Bittle.” Jack mumbled, voice a little deeper, rough with sleep. 

“Hey. Nice hair.”

Jack smirked before grabbing Bitty and flipping them so Bitty was underneath.

“Like it, eh? Worked all night on it.”

Bitty rolled his eyes, cheeks growing warm. He reached up and threaded his fingers through the hair, mussing it more. 

“I love it. Just like I love you.”

Jack froze, breath becoming slightly ragged. He stared intensely before he reached down to press his lips to Bitty’s. 

Bitty sighed into the kiss, tightening his hold on Jack’s hair ever so slightly. Eventually, Jack pulled away, but he stayed close enough that their lips brushed as he spoke. 

“What do you say about making breakfast? We could go out, but nothing beats your cooking.”

Bitty rolled his eyes, heart brimming with affection. 

“Alright, you flatterer. If you get off me, I’ll make some breakfast.”

Jack pressed a kiss to Bitty’s jaw before rolling away. 

“Need any help?”

Bitty thought for a moment as he threw the covers away and got out of the bed.

“Sure, why not? We’ll do it together.”

Jack hopped out of bed, and they wandered to the kitchen together.


	28. Meet Me Under the Mistletoe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 'Imagine your OTP running into each other under the mistletoe. Person A blushes and goes to suggest that they don’t have to kiss but Person B cuts them off with a kiss'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 28! Okay so I didn’t get this done when I said I would but I swear I will do my best to get 29 done right away. Thanks to my wonderful beta shortlimbs(sadquebecois)!

Christmas music rang through the Haus, the volume so loud the walls vibrated. Bitty leaned against the kitchen doorway, nursing a glass of eggnog as he observed the party.

He wasn’t alone for long before Jack made his way towards him.

“What are you doing standing here by yourself?”

Bitty shrugged with one shoulder, taking a sip.

“I dunno. Not really much for socializing tonight.”

Jack’s eyebrows rose in surprise before he sipped from his glass.

“Everything alright? You’re usually talking to someone by now; Or you have your face buried in your phone, which, by the way I haven’t seen you pull out all night.”

Bitty shrugged once more, sighing slightly. 

 

“I guess I’m just a little homesick is all. It might sound a little weird, but I hate not being around my family for the holidays. As hard as it may be sometimes, I really love them.”

Jack nodded in understanding.

“I know what you mean.”

Bitty opened his mouth to say something else, but he was interrupted when someone shouted from across the room.

“Looks like somebody’s under the mistletoe!”

The room erupted into ‘oohs’ and Bitty couldn’t help but blush deeply.

“J-Jack you don’t have to do it. It’s just a silly Christmas tradition, no big deal—”

Before Bitty could finish the sentence, Jack cut him off with a kiss. Bitty stood there frozen for a few moments before he hesitantly kissed back.

When Jack pulled away, his lips curved into a small smile.

“What were you saying? Silly Christmas tradition?”

“Okay, maybe not that silly.”

Jack grabbed Bitty’s hand and jerked his head in the direction of the front door.

“C’mon. Grab your coat. Let’s go out. I think a walk would be a good idea.”

Bitty nodded and followed him towards the door.


	29. Climate Control

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 'Imagine your OTP cuddling under a blanket on a cold winter night. Person A gently wrapping their arms around Person B and lightly kissing down their neck making Person B shiver from something other than the cold outside.'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 29! Guess who finally caught up! This girl! So I guess I should mention, if you haven’t already been able to tell, that tomorrow is the very last day of the challenge. Expect a monster authors note. Thanks to my wonderful beta shortlimbs (sadquebecois)!

Jack dropped his bag the second he walked in the door, pulling off his coat and throwing that down, too. Bitty would scold him later, but for now, he’d deal with the consequences. He twisted the lock and threw the keys on the kitchen table, deciding to leave the light off. He wasted no time in heading to the bedroom.

“Bitty?”

Jack whispered when he peered into the room. He squinted to see in the darkness—the sun already gone down thanks to the short days of winter—but it didn’t really matter anyway. Jack had come home later than usual as one of his practices had run longer than he had expected. 

“Did you get my text?”

Bitty’s groggy voice cut through the darkness.

Jack entered their bedroom, toeing off his shoes, having forgotten to do so when he came in.

“Yeah, I left as soon as I could. Any warmer?”

“No. Did you call the landlord? I don’t know how much more of this cold I can handle. For the rent we pay, well, at this point the Haus had more reliable heating.”

Jack chuckled as he peeled back the heavy blankets of the bed, ignoring Bitty’s protesting hisses about letting the cold air in.

“Yes, I called them. They said they’d have someone come look at it in the morning. In the meantime, I’ll try to keep you warm.”

Jack tucked himself around Bitty, nosing into the soft curls around the nape of his neck. Bitty shivered, snuggling back into Jack and sighing. Jack pressed a gentle kiss to his nape and smiled.

“How was your day?”

“Fine I guess. I baked a little, finally got done that bakery review I was struggling with.”

Jack hummed softly, pressing another kiss below Bitty’s jaw.

“I’m glad. You were really worried about that deadline.”

“Yeah, what about you? How’d practice go?”

Jack shrugged pecking a spot lower on Bitty’s neck.

“It went alright. Like usual. The guys asked me to go out with them but I think I’d rather be here.”

Jack brushed his lips against where Bitty’s neck met his shoulder, making Bitty shudder.

“Jack if you keep doing that, I don’t know how much longer I’ll be able to keep my hands off of you.”

Jack chuckled softly before rolling Bitty under him, kissing the corner of Bitty’s mouth.

“Then don’t. You’ll definitely stay warm.”

Bitty reached up to grab the collar of Jack’s shirt and pulled him down for a kiss.


	30. YOU’LL NEVER BELIEVE HOW THIS CHALLENGE ENDS

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 'Something retrospective, many years down the road reflecting on how far they’ve come.' (From OrangePencils)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is everyone. Day 30. So beware, as I warned everyone, monster author's note coming through. The first thing I have to say is that this month has been amazing, crazy and stressful. When I first started this challenge, I had absolutely no idea how it would turn out. A friend of mine linked me to the challenge and I thought "why not?" but I didn't actually expect to actually finish it. Especially not in the time period it was supposed to. And really, I owe this feat to a lot of people. First of all to everyone who commented, left kudos, or just read the darn things. But most of all, I owe this to Shortlimbs (Sadquebecois) my beta. Without her help there is no way I would have gotten as far as I did. She got me through my bad days, listened to me rant and complain. Cheered me on, gave me ideas and taught me things. She stayed up till 2 most nights just so I would be able to post it and without that support, there’s no way in this world I would be here on chapter 30 on day 30 yelling "I did it!" Also thanks to orangepencils (randomoranges) for giving me the prompt for today! And now without further ado, here's the last drabble.

Bitty leaned against the frame of the living room window. He took in the view and sighed in contentment. Who could have guessed that his life would have turned out this way? Living in a gorgeous apartment, having a drool-worthy kitchen, being exactly who he is without hiding, and having a husband who loved him more than anything.

He glanced down at his left hand, ring shining in the sunlight. If only he could have told himself in high school what life would be like years down the road; he might not have felt so lonely.

Bitty walked away from the window and toward a shelf that held various mementos, one of them being the puck of Jack’s very first NHL goal. Jack had been so excited, and when they moved in together, Bitty had found a special frame to put it in. 

There was also the picture from their wedding day. Bitty had worn a white suit with a gold tie while Jack had worn a plain black suit (with the added bonus of a Falconers’ tie that Shitty had made him wear). 

Bitty picked up the photo, caressing it’s frame with his thumb. He stood there briefly before a pair of hands suddenly wrapped around his waist and a chin rested on his shoulder.

“What are you thinking about?”

Bitty shrugged, placing the picture back on the shelf. He turned to press a kiss to Jack’s temple.

“Just how happy I am; how lucky I am to be with you.”

Jack’s hold on him tightened ever so slightly, and he pressed a kiss to the back of Bitty’s neck.

“I think we’re both the lucky ones.”

**Author's Note:**

> Follow me on my tumblrs:  
> the-canadian-captain (Main)  
> Itty-bitty-hockey-trash (Side blog)


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